Foundation garment



May 17, 1955 R. STEINBERG FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Jan. 6. 1953 INVENTOR. K0552 r 5 750/5524- United States Patent FOUNDATION GARMENT Robert Steinberg, Great Neck, N. Y. Application January 6, 1953, Serial No. 329,778

4 (llamas. (Cl. 229) The present invention relates to a ladys foundation garment, and more particularly to a ladys one-piece, elastic girdle or pantie girdle formed of dip-molded latex or the like.

Dip-molded, elastic foundation garments of the character described, as heretofore known and used, presented certain disadvantages and drawbacks to their users. Such garments, for one thing, are impervious to the passage of air therethrough and do not permit of body breathing therethrough. They, therefore, tend to cause excessive heat and perspiration by preventing body ventilation, with consequent discomfort. Even the practice of forming numerous closely spaced openings through the wall of the garment failed to completely relieve the foregoing unpleasant effects and also tended to weaken the garment structure.

Furthermore, garments of the cha acter described, as heretofore made, hu ed the body closely, tightly and uniformly and, therefore interfered with the circulation of blood through the portion of the skin confined by the garment, thereby producing undesirable and unpleasant effects and sensations on the wearer and possibly also unhealthy and unsanitary eifects.

in add n, such garments as heretofore reduced, be cause no practical way was known for providing any openings therein and safe and secure and securely held closures for such openings, such as are found in many textile fabric foundation garments for aiding in putting them on and taking them off, are completely tubular, and, because their upper, waist embracing portions are relatively narrow, were diiiicult to put on and take off and such difficulty frequently brought about the damaging of the garment during such procedures by tearing.

Accordingly, it is the object of the present invention to provide latexdipped foundation garments of the character described, such as girdles, panty girdles and the like, in which all of the foregoing disadvantages are overcome and shortcomings obviated.

Thus, it is an object of the present invention to provide foundation garments of the character described with varying pressure along closely adjacent portions thereof, to thereby not only permit circulation of air and body breathing under the garment, especially during movement, but also actually bring about and exert a massaging action on the confined portion of the body, to thereby stimulate blood circulation therethrough and to actually exert a reducing action on the confined body portion.

it is also an object of the present invention to provide latex dipped foundation garments of the character described which are provided with air passage openings or pores without weakening and with actually strengthening the body of the garment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a latex-dipped foundation garment of the character described provided with a vertically disposed slot opening along its upper portion, for aiding in putting it on and taking it off, which is suitably reinforced against tearing during the procedures, and which is further provided with closure means which are safely and securely anchored in place and which will not come in contact with the body of the wearer.

It is additionally an object of the present invention to provide latex-dipped foundation garments of the character described having improved garter bands of superior strength and durability and which permit the quick, easy, safe and secure adjustable attachment of hose grippers thereto, and further permit the use of hose grippers of simplified and more economical construction in association therewith.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide latex dipped foundation garments of the character described which are of generally improved construction, especially as to strength and durability; which are easier and more convenient to put on and to take ofi with a reduced risk of tearing during the process; and which are more convenient, more sanitary, more comfortable, more healthful and more desirable to wear.

The foregoing and other advantages and superiorities of the foundation garments of the present invention will become more readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the one embodiment thereof shown in the accompanying drawing and from the description following. It is to be understood, however, that such embodiment is shown by way of illustration only, to make the principles and practice of the invention more readily comprehensible, and without any intent of limiting the invention to the specific details therein shown.

in the drawing:

Fig. l is front elevational view of one embodiment of a foundation garment of the present invention, in the form of a girdle; partly broken away to show details of the interior thereof, and shown with one hose gripper in place thereon;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken on line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view, on an enlarged scale, of a portion of the interior surface of the garment;

Fig. 4 is a section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view, similar to that of Fig. 3, of a modified form of interior surface of a girdle; and

Fig. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring more specifically to the accompanying draw ing, the foundation garment or girdle therein illustrated, generally designated as 16, comprises a one-piece tubular elastic body, formed by the process of dip molding in latex, or synthetic substitutes therefor or their mixtures, in a manner well known in the art. The body 10 is of conventional tubular shape, having a hip encompassing and compressing lower and central portion 11 narrowing towards the top to form a waist encompassing portion 12 and having a top edge 13 and a bottom edge 14 and also having, continuous with and extending from the bottom edge 14 dependent, integral garter-clasp supporting tabs 19. The top and bottom edges 13 and 14 may be reinforced against tearing by being thickened in the conventional manner.

The body 10 is provided, on its inner face, along the hip encompassing portion 11 with stud-like elevations or projections 15 which may be of any desired shape such as circular or rectangular, as illustrated, or of other polygonal shape, and may be formed with gradually tapering side walls 16 so as to avoid sharp corners. Studs 15 are preferably arranged in symmetrical order as in regularly spaced vertical and diagonal formation, as illustrated. The body may be provided with breathing apertures along its studded area. Such apertures may be formed through the studs 15 as at 1'7 and also in the spaces between them, as at 17' or in both locations as may be desired.

It will be readily apparent that the thickened portions or studs 15 serve a dual purpose. They provide passages between them through which air may circulate'upon movement of the body during physical activity or even during the contraction and expansion of the body as a result of normal breathing, tending to permit the dissipation of body heat and reduce considerably the tendency to perspire and the accumulationof perspiration moisture because of their exclusively compressing effect, and at the 7 same time such movement of the projections 15 tends to have a massaging and reducing efiect upon the part of the body which they overlie.

To facilitate the putting on and removal of the garment. of the present invention, especially in view of its irregular inner surface, a vertical slot 18 is formed in the body 1 5 extending part way downwardly from the top edge is which slot permits the widening of the top part of the garment to make it easy for pulling over the hips of tne wearer. The slot 18 may preferably be formed by removal of an elongated rectangular strip of the body material, to leave a space of sufiicient width to permit disposal of separable fastening means therein.

Closure means for the slot 13 to put the garment back a into waist confining shape may be provided in the form of separable fastening means, such as the slide fastener,

generally designated as 20. To secure the slide fastener 20 in place one of the tapes 2?. thereof is bonded, as by adhesive, to a strip of material 22 preferably of sheet latex or the like of substantial Width and of a length deeper than the slot 18. The tape 21 is bonded to the strip 22 at a distance from each of its side edges to provide marginal edge portions on either sidethereof. One marginal edge portion of thestrip 22 and the tape 21 bonded thereon are both, in turn, bonded to the inner surface of the marginal edge portion of one of the slot edges, with the metallic or similar fastener elements 23 extending into the area of the slot 18. The other mar inal portion of the strip 22 forms a tongue 24that underlies the slot 18 and extends loosely under the marginal portion of the opposed slot edge. e V

The second slide fastener tape 25 is secured to a second, similar but preferably narrower strip 26 with its fastener elements 23 overhanging one side edge of the strip 26. The strip 26 is of greater width than the fastener tape 25 leaving a marginal portion which together with the tape 25 are bonded tothe inner face of the marginal portion of the second slot edge, with the elements 23 extending into the slot 18. The bottom portions of the strips 22 and 26 may be cemented to the inner face portion of the body 10 below the'slot 18 to serve as a reinforcement for the bottom of the slot to prevent its tearing and being:

7 extended during putting on and removal of the garment.

A plurality of ribs 3% may be provided on the inner face of the garment 16 at the bottom portion thereof which ribs extend into each of the tabs 14 to reinforce their connection with the body 10 of the garment.

Each of the tabs 14 may also be provided with spaced transverse ribs or beaded projections 32 that are adapted to engage against an upper bar 33 of the slide buckle 34 through which such tab 14 may be laced to prevent the withdrawal of the tab 14 through the buckle to thereby provide a safe and secure anchorage for the buckle 34.

; -tion of tiny irregularitieson the inner surface of the body 10. These. irregularities 36 may be in the form of hairlike depressions or elevations, which may be provided 7 by the dusting of flocking material over the form or shape on which the body 1% is molded. The flocking material adheres to the latex as it sets and either remains on the surface thereof to provide a hairy finish'to the surface or is removed therefrom in whole or in part, by washing, or during wearing, still leaving the irregularities in the surface produced by their initial presence thereon.

This completes the description of the dip-molded garment of the present invention. it wiil be readily apparout that such garment is highly effective to provide the advantages and superiorities along the lines of facilitating body respiration, reducing the discomfort of perspiration, and of massaging the skin to stimulate blood circulation through the skin and to exert a reducing action thereon.

It will also be apparent that the garment of the present invention is further effective to increase the ease of putting on and removal, without in any way weakening its structure or reducing its sturdiness and durability, and that it also provides an easy to use, safe and secure support for garter clips.

it will further be apparent that numerous variations and modifications may be made in the garments of the persent invention, by any one skilled in the art in accordance with the principles of the invention herein above set forth and without the use of any inventive ingenuity. I desire, therefore, to be protected for any and all such variations and modifications that may be made within the scope of the claims hereto appended.

What 2 claim is: i

l. A foundation garment of the character described,

2 comprising a one piece tubular elastic body including a narrowing, waist-encompassing upper portion and a relatively wider lower hip encompassing portion, said body having circularly arranged, stud-like elevations rising from its inner surface along its said hip encompassing portion,

said elevations each having upwardly tapering side walls, a

said body having apertures formed therethrough passing through said elevations thereof.

2. A foundation garment of the character described, comprising a one-piece tubular elastic body, said body including an upper narrowing waist encompassing portion 7 and a lower relatively wider hip encompassing portion, and spaced tabs extending from the bottom edge thereof, said body having an irregularinner surface, including spaced, upwardly tapering elevations formed along said hip encompassing portion thereof, each having an aperturetherethrough opening into the outerface of said body,

and ribs extending from the lower portion of said body' into the upper portion of each of said tabs, said tabs each having transverse projections along the inner face thereof.

3. A foundation garment of the character described, comprising a one-piece tubular elastic body including an upper narrowing waist encompassing portion and a lower relatively wider hip encompassing portion, said body having a circularly disposed irregular inner surface portion along the said hip encompassing portion thereof, including spaced, raised portions having upwardly tapered sides, said body having breathing apertures formed therethrough aiong said portion thereof having said irregular inner surface.

4. The foundation garment of claim 1, wherein said apertures, are formed through said body in the areas between said raised portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,605,959 Lefevre Nov. 9, 1926 2,286,117 Sidnell June 9, 1942 9 2,365,016 Spanel Dec. 12, 1944 2,428,127 Sidnell Sept. 30, 1947 2,579,547 Cadous Dec. 25, 1951 2,664,569 Andrews Jan. 5, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 422,044 Great Britain Dec. 27, 1934 742,325

France Dec. 27, 1932 

